Soil Quality

Baroness Stowell of Beeston Excerpts

Wednesday 25th February 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Tebbit (Con)]

My Lords—

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con)]

My Lords, everybody is frisky today. Having heard from the Back-Bencher from the government side first, we have had a Cross-Bencher, and it is now time to go to the main Opposition—rather, the only Opposition—on the Labour Benches.

[Noble Lords]

Oh!

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

Then we will come back to the government Benches.

[Lord Clark of Windermere]

I thank the noble Baroness. Does the Minister accept that tree planting plays a critical role in stopping the erosion of soil? As this problem gets more and more acute, what plans do the Government have to engage with the Forestry Commission to allow it to get more in touch with farmers to point out the advantages of tree planting and the disadvantages of removing hedges?

Milk Production

Baroness Stowell of Beeston Excerpts

Thursday 15th January 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer]

This side. This side.

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con)]

Order. We need less of the shouting of “This side, this side” during Question Time. If we are going to follow the convention of sides, which is not the only convention we follow at Question Time, it is the turn of the Labour Benches, so we should hear from the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley.

[Lord Berkeley]

I am grateful to the noble Baroness. Does the Minister agree that one way of reducing the cost of production would be to introduce mega-dairies and very big units in the way that has been done for poultry and pigs? Does he have a view on that and what sort of size would the Government welcome?